Sad day for Brother Steve – Zima no more

Read the following from jsonline.com’s Newswatch section today. Sad day for Brother Steve. All that Pabst talk is a ruse – Steve has been drinking Zima exclusively for years. (Note: Tom Daykin, author of the bit below didn’t follow proper made-up-word etiquette. He needs to add if you will, as it were, if you like, after malternative. Also, who decided that we need malternatives, as they were, in the first place? Weak.)

MillerCoors drops clear malt drink Zima

MillerCoors LLC said today it has stopped brewing Zima, a sweet, clear malt beverage that was among the first “malternative” drinks.

The new joint venture of Miller Brewing Co. and Coors Brewing Co. dropped production of Zima because of “challenging malternative segment sales and declining consumer interest,” according to a statement by Andy England, chief marketing officer.

“This decision is necessary to reduce complexity when it comes to our brand portfolio, allowing for more focused activity at retail on consumer-preferred brands, especially Sparks,” England wrote. Coors launched Zima in 1994.

Sparks is a citrus-flavored caffeinated malt beverage that was created to appeal to drinkers who mix energy drinks with vodka.